Thursday, August 31, 2006

Adaptive Path Blog

I subscribe to the Adaptive Path email, have a book on my wish list that Jesse James Garrett wrote, and finally got around to finding out if they have a blog, and they do.
 
As a company that focuses on the user experience, the web site had better be good. They must walk the talk! While so many companies don't walk the talk, this one does. The layout is clean and pleasing to the eye. Tabs along the top to provide easy navigation within the site.
 
If you are interested in web desgin for usability, this is one site to visit and follow. Sign up for their newsletter. Check out their essays.
 
An investment of time in your future that will return dividends.
 
 
 
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Wednesday, August 30, 2006

100Bloggers Carnival - Best Use of Colorful Adjectives

The trail continues with the 100Bloggers "Heat of Summer Carnival" were the votes are being cast and counted. Two of these nominees was previously found along the trail, the others now will have their day in the sun. We'll take some time to catch up on the nominees for each category.

If you want to skip ahead, you can check out the original carnival posting here

and the nominees and instructions for voting can be found here


The nominees for 100Bloggers Heat of Summer Carnival - "Best Use of Colorful Adjectives" are:
  1. What is Marital Kissing, You Ask?
  2. Do Not all Charms Fly? Derek Jeter’s Transient Moment
  3. Mind the Gap
  4. Had Enough?
  5. Fairy Light
  6. Grammar Gaffe Friday
Patti Digh has been written about by the Hitchhikers before, you can read about her writing here and here. She also has an entry in the Most Inspiring/Inspirational category.

Heather Hunter writing at This Fish has also been written about when the Hitchhikers found her blog in June 2005. You can read about that find here.

While two were previously "discovered", two of the remaining entries are part of the same Pajamas Media group. Stephen writing at Horsefeathers and Ace writing at Ace of Spades HQ.

SanLeon.Net has on the about page:

The community of San Leon, Texas sprawls untidily across a stubby peninsula that juts into the west side of Galveston Bay. From the north shore of the peninsula, on a clear day, you can see the giant stone star on top of the San Jacinto Monument, more than twenty miles away. If you like watching ships, the eastern shore is as close as you can get, where the ship channel provides for an international parade of the big, bigger, and biggest ships in the world, making their way to and from Bayport, Barbours Cut, and the Port of Houston. The south shore of the San Leon peninsula faces sundown and the quieter, more peaceful Dickinson Bay, home to most of the fishing fleet. But if you want to watch the fishing boats leave out in the morning, you have to get up before morning comes.

The site is complete with photo gallery and a webcam. It was night time here in New England when I checked it out and there were two pin points of light visible so it was night down on the coast as well.

The Windows Live Space blog format does not provide for an "about section". At least on the two that I have seen and looked through thus far. This would be good for anonymous blogging. Of course, you could always not complete your Blogger profile but I think there is still no capability to competely turn it off. Anyway, the writer (I believe it is a she) writes here.

So now that you know a little more about these entries, go ahead (if you have not already) and read the full posts for the contest, decide and vote responsibly.

You should also consider adding one or more of these to your RSS Reader of choice to keep tabs on their good writing.


PS - Many thanks to Larry Hendricks for hosting this section of the 100Bloggers Carnival

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Tuesday, August 29, 2006

100Bloggers Carnival - Silliest Blog Entry, But It Felt Good!

The trail continues with the 100Bloggers "Heat of Summer Carnival" were the votes are being cast and counted. One of the nominees was previously found along the trail, the others now will have their day in the sun. We'll take some time to catch up on the nominees for each category.

If you want to skip ahead, you can check out the original carnival posting here

and the nominees and instructions for voting can be found here

The nominees for 100Bloggers Heat of Summer Carnival - Silliest Blog Entry, But It Felt Good! are:


Ronni was amongst the first found blog found along the trail by the hitchhikers. The trail opened on 3/3/2005 and we wrote about Ronni on 3/8/2005. You can read about it here.

Lyn writes a few other blogs, at least one in a hiatus at the moment. I thought I used my 3-column template fully, well not quite. I have a long way to go to put as many useful links and buttons and bricklets and widgets along the columns as Lyn has. If there is an "About Me" page with a paragraph or two of some background on his purpose in amongst this all, I missed it. I may have been laughing too loud to see straight. You might want to add Lyn to your RSS read of choice to get a daily laugh or two.

The Random Yak writes

From the people who brought you the Wife Carrying Competition (understand the concept, wouldn’t suggest participating) and the Sauna World Championships (might consider participating, if I understood the concept):

It’s the first Mobile Phone Throwing World Championship! (I knew they had to
be good for something.)

The winner, Finland’s Lassi Etelatalo, flung his Nokia 89 meters to take home a (notably quieter) spot in the phone-flinging hall of fame.


Maybe a good idea to keep the phone hidden from Lassi. Add the Random Yak to your RSS Reader of choice and you won't need a phone.

Nooner101 uses Windows Live Spaces to blog. I must admit, I had not checked one of these out before. Some standard links and features, but slightly differently arranged. I will need to see a few others to see if this one is a good sample or truly different. In any case, if you were curious about "Practice Safe Fax", you can find the answers to your questions here.

Q. If I fax something to myself will I go blind? A. Certainly not. As far as I can see.


Add Nooner101 to your RSS Reader of choice and you won't need a fax.

Captain Platypus writing at the Platypus Society recently converted to WordPress and installed a new template. I don't know what it looked liked previously but the 3-column template works for me. Much simpler than Lyn although this may not be completed yet so I should not pre-judge.

If you are interested in a threeway while in Cincinnati, check this out. That should keep you going while you add the Platypus Society to your RSS Reader of choice to get some regular doses of humor.

The competition in the silliest category is truly a laughing matter. Read the postings, share them with your friends and conspire to cast your votes accordingly.


PS - Many thanks to Pet Campbell for hosting this wacky event.


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Monday, August 28, 2006

100Bloggers Carnival - Most Inspiring/Inspirational

The trail turns to the 100Bloggers "Heat of Summer Carnival" were the votes are being cast and counted. One of the nominees was previously found along the trail, the others now will have their day in the sun. We'll take some time to catch up on the nominees for each category.
If you want to skip ahead, you can check out the original carnival posting here:
 
and the nominees and instructions for voting can be found here:
 
In the "Most Inspiring/Inspirational" category we have
 
The hitchhikers found Patti Digh along the trail previously, you can read about her writing here and here.
 
Pamela Slim writes in her about page:

My journey as an entrepreneur began in 1996, when I quit my job as manager of training and development at Barclay's Global Investors, a $300B investment management firm in San Francisco. I enjoyed my work very much, but was looking for something new, exciting and challenging for the next phase of my career. After about 4 months in the market with no interesting job leads, I called up my friend and former manager to see if she had any project work. As fate would have it, she needed an outside contractor to work on developing the global management development curriculum for Hewlett Packard.

As soon as I started working for myself, I knew that something was RIGHT! Having my own business was totally liberating and intoxicating. I named my company Ganas (a Spanish word that means the intense desire to do something, inner motivation, exuberance, drive) since that was what I felt every day I went to work, and was how I wanted my clients to feel as a result of working with me. I even went through a phase of self-employment evangelism, encouraging everyone I knew, or didn't know, to work for themselves, until I learned that not only was it unrealistic since some people like working as an employee, it was downright obnoxious. So although I have toned it down over the years, my zeal for entrepreneurship and my love of working for myself has never waned.

Her energy and enthusiasm come through in her postings. Her entry for the carnival is tough competition for the others. But you know, they are worthy competitors. So after reading, deciding, and voting, add Pamela to your RSS reader of choice. I believe you'll be glad you did.

Debra writes in her about page:

I'm a 40-something happy homemaker and a Christian who loves home and hearth and most things old-fashioned. Tom and I have been happily married 27 years and have one daughter, Naomi, age 26. We have recently become empty-nesters and are loving this new phase of life together.

I can relate to some of this. We just celebrated our 24th anniversary and after this weekend when our youngest goes off to college we'll sort of be empty nesters. She likes to read with her husband on Sunday mornings and came to this realization recently:

I mean, I don't even read the front page section (I save that for skimming online each day)... no, I just always grab the light-hearted sections. And well, if you've not already noticed--the newspaper no longer has any light-hearted sections.

And I think it's because it's rare to even find one light-hearted person anymore, especially one writing for a newspaper. People today appear so burdened, so angry, and it seems most people I know (and those I don't know) have anything but light hearts nowadays.

And rather than catch the 'heavy heart disease'... rather than read bitter, unforgiving, unmerciful words about people in the spotlight (a.k.a. Easy Targets)... rather than read that what I hold dear is now considered bad/evil/wrong and what I see as bad is now considered right/wise/and just plain good... I will, instead, choose to read favorite books while I sit with Tom as he reads the newspaper (the sports section, classifieds and store ads being his favorite parts).

You can read the full posting here. If you have not read her entry for the carnival, please do so, make an informed vote and add her blog to your RSS Reader of choice.
 
The last but certainly not least of this category is the only male writer. Why? That may be the subject of another posting.  Raymond writes in his about page:

I am one of those “strange” individuals that believes that we were created to thrive, not just survive. Sounds crazy, right? My philosophy is actually a lifestyle born out of many extraordinary experiences that I have had throughout my life.  Suffering from childhood illnesses and severe allergies at an early age, I required weekly doctor visits, shots, and medication.  Realizing that this was not how I ultimately wanted to live, I decided to look for a better way. Even though I was only a teenager, I began experimenting with many alternative treatments and eventually overcame my conditions. 

.......

After several years, I left my role with the large organization to continue pursuing my vision on a dedicated full-time basis. I founded ZenChill Publishing in 2005 to extend the reach of my written work. In February 2006, I published a collection of my own personal spiritual insights called “Yoga In A Book” to help inspire others.

I am now fully committed to helping others through my passion, findings, and   “power tools for mind, body, and soul,” available now at ZenChill.com and guiding them, wherever possible, towards the greater success, joy, and freedom that we are all truly looking for in our lives. Sounds good?

His entry in the carnival is a good one. Read it, and vote responsibly.  Add Raymond to your RSS Reader of choice to keep up with his writing.

 

PS - Thanks to Phil "Make it Great" Gerbyshak for hosting this category.

 
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Saturday, August 26, 2006

Audioblog Roundup

The trail takes a short cut through today's Boston Globe Living/Arts section which has a cover story on local audio bloggers. The online version of the story provides an active link to the individual pages. I decided to summarize them here to make it easier to get to.

I would encourage you to read the full article in the Globe (free registration maybe required).

Hello Gina

Exit fare

Rbally

Clicky clicky

Keep the coffee coming

Bradley's Almanac

Los Amigos De Durutti

This is a good variety of music to choose from.

Spend some time cruising, listening and maybe you'll find one or two (or more) to add to your RSS Reader of choice.


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Thursday, August 24, 2006

New Media School

As PodCamp Boston approaches, the trail will wind its way amongst some scheduled attendees. Today, we'll stop by the New Media School where they offer tips and tricks on creating audio and video casts.
 
The about page states:
New Media School was founded in August 2006 by Chris Brogan as part of Grasshopper New Media.

The New Media School is dedicated to helping you understand audio and video podcasting, as well as other new media tools.

If you come away from this site with nothing else, come away with the understanding that all this technology is just a means to reach your audience. The goal is to inform, to entertain, and to start conversations. This is digital storytelling. What you learn here is no different than cave painting, except that it has larger reach, and repeatability.

As a potential podcaster, this is one site I'll visit before going to PodCamp Boston.

If you have considerd podcasting, and have not done so yet, then this is one place to visit.

If you are an experienced podcaster, then this is also a place to visit and potentially help by sharing what you know.

Either way, add it to your RSS reader of choice and keep informed!

 

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Fractalia - A J McCaffrey

The trail takes an interesting turn today. My daughter left a book on the kitchen table the last time she was home with a note that read:
you might be interested in this Dad
So I picked up the book and read it while riding the train to and from Boston last week. I am waiting for Episode 2, AJ. When will it be ready?

Anyway, this site is meant to accompany the book and its byline states:
Everything you wanted to know about Fractalia. The characters: Wudlig, Pax, Kayoz, Brandelmoat, etc. Those strange shapes called fractals. The puzzles (outties). You can even submit your own answers to the outties because your answers might be better than what is in the book!

The outties are puzzles. Simple but challenging. Without getting into detail about the book (I'll save that for the book review in progress), you can participate in providing answers to the puzzles by leaving comments on the blog.

Cool puzzles. Good for thinking out of the box!

Check them out. If you like them, then you may also consider obtaining the book to find out what is really going on.

In the meantime, put your thinking cap on for a few solutions to the outties!


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Other links of interest:

Book Review
Interview with Author

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Complete Running Network (CRN) now Live!

The trail turns down a running path today. I have been a member of the  Running Blog Family (RBF) since I found it some months ago. I have had fun cruising amongst some of the other RBF blogs. I have not visited them all by any means. There are more than I could visit reasonably. They have grown so much that they have expanded to a new Complete Running Network.
 
 
And if you do, please leave a comment to let them know you heard about it from me.
 
Thanks!
 
 
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Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Numinous Nonsense

Numinous Nonsense is Vincent Horn's blogmandu. Check it out. It's new, but hints of something very cool. There are photos and movie reviews and even a VLOG.

It's worth watching just to see where Horn takes it.

You Are Mighty

Need a pick-me-up? Check this out.

Kudos to Phil Gerbyshak for another good idea - You Are Mighty!

Monday, August 21, 2006

Tabblo - Photo Sharing

 
While on the trail this evening, catching up on some reading before calling it an early night, I happened upon Susan's Blog. She was highlighted here back in February. She is at the Cape (we were in Falmouth last weekend). She had a real neat photo spread of their good family fun on the Cape. This is apparently from a new service called Tabblo, which lets you put pictures together in a photo essay or spread.
 
Needless to say, my hitting the hay early has been diverted. I did set up an account. I have not yet done a tabblo but in crusing around the samples, I like what I see.
 
Check out tabblo, it may be something you can use.
 
 
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Sunday, August 20, 2006

amusing my genius - Michelle

The trail takes out to Australia where we find Michelle writing at amusing my genius.

Michelle writes:

I know this now. I'm working on making these two sides of myself more coherent and I'm learning to recognise the signs where my skill at putting others at ease through my use of humorous self-deprecation becomes merely silly self-sabotage.

I AM independant, loving, lovable and valuable! These are not boasts but truths not just about myself but of everyone I know and love.

She writes:

We fear to express love because we fear rejection - abandonment and possibly even being made to look foolish and stupid.

That was the greatest damage done to us in the story of the Garden of Eden. When we "knew" our "nakedness", it wasn't just physical shame - it was a deep emotional fear that came over us too - a fear of isolation so intense and all encompassing that the mere thought of being abandoned like that inside that fear was...is like a void so vast and inescapable it feels like it will consume us completely in its inky black, terrifying nothingness.



Add Michelle to your RSS Reader of choice and continue to read what she writes.



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Friday, August 18, 2006

SocialTwister - Greg Narain

Winding our way through the blogosphere we find this from Greg Narain writing at SocialTwister:

Over the last 6 months or so I have been quite engrossed speaking with all sorts of people who decidedly don’t consider themselves bloggers. I often follow-up their immediate gut-reaction with a question, “What’s a blogger?” It seems that there’s an image problem with blogging, and not from the credibility side.

The problem, actually, is with the profile of blogging activity and the mindset of the blogger. For many looking in from the “outside” - drawn to the fences by mainstream and trade coverage of the wonders and merits of this thing called blogging, they’re completely baffled “how to do it”. There’s no easy answer, but presumably lots of “wrong” ones. Should there not be an on-ramp? Don’t we need time to let groups and organizations find their voice. We’re all born with one as individuals - that’s harder to coordinate inside an organization.

Read the full posting here.

In his profile he writes:

I’m the ultimate people person. Charmed at an early age by the power of relationships, I have dedicated my life to the study of them. My work to date clearly demonstrates this enthusiasm.

An entrepreneur from the beginning, I have launched a suite of innovations across multiple industries. My previous companies delivered solutions in the web site publishing, content management, e-mail marketing and analytics, and even online dating businesses. The unifying thread? Each of them was focused on increasing the opportunity and effectiveness of our communications.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University in Sociology (though most would believe I’m a programmer, or even a designer).

And from What Keeps Me Up at Night:

This is the question that was posed to me last month by Trevor Stafford of RedCanary. I first met Trevor at the Mesh Conference and am glad he included me in this article. If you want to see the answers from the other 13 other CEO’s, view it here.

Here’s my nightmare:

Vultures. A small company is like a nest of eggs. We’ve got new ideas in a quickly emerging industry. I worry most about how much inspiration I give the circling patrol above. I’m always trying to find new ways to hide my eggs so they have time to hatch — increasingly difficult when you also need transparency to survive.

I recommend adding Greg to your RSS Reader of choice to continue to read what he writes. In fact, I already did. Will you?


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Thursday, August 17, 2006

Pawn Takes Queen - Andrew Congdon

Andrew Congdon (yes, he is Amanda's sister) writes and publishes his video clips at Pawn Takes Queen. While I was a Rocketboomer to watch Amanda, I did not realize that he was one of the geniuses behind the scenes to make it all happen. This is his own space to strut his stuff. And good stuff it is.

There is a pile of clips from Rocketboom where he was heavily involved.

His first post was August 3rd but given what he has done, there is a great likelihood of more good things to come.

I would add this site to my RSS Reader of choice to keep up with Andrew's travels.


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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Frontline Team Achievement - Dave Sovde

Dave Sovde writing at Frontline Team Achievement says in his about page:

This is the blog of OneByOne Team Achievement, a simple approach to engaging all personnel in an enjoyable "mission" to create an extra-ordinary high perfomance team. I am publishing this blog to help team leadership keep it simple, make it fun, and focus on joining the very best of the best. In the words of R. Buckminster Fuller, "You do not change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, you must build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
Dave writes in Sales & Service, Excellence is Uncommon:

A person is passionate about achieving great goals only after they know how to achieve them.
Dave writes in Performance Management Leadership:

... I re-read the article again and realized, for the first time, that there are a lot of people that just don't know how to get people excited about excellence, or probably much of anything else. They don't know how to create a mission, or cause, to become the best of the best.

Add Frontline Team Achievement to your RSS Reader of choice to keep up with what Dave is saying on these topics.


Updated 10/13/06 - This site has closed and Dave has moved his blog to a new name and new service: The Excitement Program


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Political Awareness Updates

First - The Sunlight Foundation was part of this trail back in June. They have a new mashup using Google maps to highlight where dollars are heading from pending legislation. Check out earmarks.


Second - Common Cause has a blog. Today there is an entry about action being taken to address voting machines in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Common Cause also published two reports on Wolves in Sheep's Clothing with the inside scoop on who is really behind what appears to be "citizens for net neutrality" (hint - it is not the "real public" but in fact AT&T and the telecom associates)



If you have found a good source of information on government and the political process, let me know.

Friday, August 11, 2006

SingShot

The trail turns musically down the technology path today to spot a new community to share your songs and your singing. I know Rosa is waiting for me to record Aloha Rosa, but as I mentioned that won't be any time soon. IF (and that is a big if) I were to do so however, this just might be the place.
 
SingShot lets you create a free account.
Sing your song.
Join the conversations with other singers and song writers.
 
Let the music play!
 
Enjoy!
 
 
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Thursday, August 10, 2006

ipopin - Kirsten Harrell

The trail takes us along to Kirsten Harrell writing at ipopin where she says in her bio:

I am a psychologist with a passion for the power of positive thinking and maintaining a positive attitude! I am a consultant and coach with expertise in the areas of mind-body therapies, stress management, quantum psychology, and peak performance. I created ipop-ins with Traci Harrell, my sister and business partner, as a way to bring the power of positive thinking to people on the go.

What are ipop-ins?

Ipop-ins are one minute attitude boosters that bring the power of positive thinking to people on the go. Ipop-in a new attitude today.

She writes about Sir Ken Robinson's presentation at TED:

Sir Robinson talked about public education system and the idea that we educate our children out of their creativity. He points out that public education throughout the world is organized hierarchically - with arts at the bottom. Sir Robinson suggests that we need to change our educational system and begin to educate children's whole beings. We need to honor creativity and the arts. We need to honor all the ways children learn and honor all of their talents - not just the left-brained academic talents.

She writes about dirty car art:

If you like art, you might want to check out Scott Wade's Dirty Car Art! Really... it is amazing what this guy can do with a dirty car window! He's got some talent. Scott travels on a mile and a half of dirt road to get to his house, so his car gets rather dirty on a regular basis. Instead of seeing this as a nuisance or a pain in the butt as many of us would, Scott saw an opportunity - an opportunity to turn messy dirt into beautiful art! Imagine driving behind a car that looked like this - wouldn't it make you smile?

So what is there Not to like about Kirsten? Nothing I have found thus far. Check out the ipop-ins and her blog writing! Add her to your RSS Reader of choice.

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Carpe Factum - Timothy Johnson

The trail takes us today to Timothy Johnson writing at Carpe Factum. Timothy says in his about page:

For anyone who is still interested in such things, I am certified in project management (PMP).

What drives me: Passion and Balance. Passion for what works. Passion for creativity. Passion for accomplishment. Passion for solid leadership. Balance among my family, my faith, and my career.

My aversions: Indecisive leadership. Inconsistent leadership. Absent leadership. Unrealistic demands. Absence of accountability. Passive-aggression.

Timothy says good things about Phil Gerbyshak's new book:
Phil holds your hand through the entire book, not in a condescending way, but in a tone that says, "Hey, I've been there; you've got a buddy for this journey."  He graciously and seamlessly balances anecdotal evidence, statistics, admissions of shortcomings, and thought-provoking action-oriented exercises throughout the pages.

Phil has earned a coveted spot in my "Should Be In Your Library" section.  Don't think of this as purchasing a book; view it as investing in your life.

Timothy is also starting a little contest:

we'll have a little contest here.  Post a comment telling me what you would name your project (current or past) and at least 1-2 sentences explaining why.  A week from now, I will select the most creative one (if I get enough, I'll select the top 2 or 3).  Each of the winners will receive a free autographed copy of Race Through The Forest.  I can't be the only one having all the creative fun on the blogosphere, so tell your friends and let's be goofy.

So if you have an interest in project management and/or want to participate in a contest, you should add Carpe Factum to your RSS Reader of choice.

 

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Monday, August 07, 2006

Chris Brogan

For "Your daily dose of Self-Improvement and Creativity" check out what Chris Brogan writes on his blog.

On his about page:
In July 2006, Chris teamed up with Christopher S. Penn and others including Bryan Person to create PodCamp, an unconference in the tradition of BarCamp, serving as a rallying point for podcasters, video bloggers, and other new media types.

Chris writes:

I’ve gotta define a little more discipline in my days. I find myself prey to the same distractions as all mortals. For one, I pick at my email account like it’s a scab. Leave it ALONE, man. I’ve gotta stop that. So, I’m trying to work out a process to manage this. Here’s what I’ve got in mind.

  • How much time do I have?
  • Divide time 1/3 sweep , 1/3 work, 1/3 post
  • Sweep- Read email, reply, move actions to To-Do
  • Work- Variable. Do what needs doing. Read actionable list.
  • Post- Save time to format for posts to various sites.

I think if I follow that very basic process, I’ll have better use of the time I’m scrounging for my projects.


Read his full psting here.

Add Chris's blog to your RSS Reader of choice.

Check out PodCamp Boston.


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Thursday, August 03, 2006

Designing for Interaction - Dan Saffer

Continuing along the user interaction trail today, we stop at this site where Dan Saffer has just published his book: Designing for Interaction.
 
Dan writes:

First off, there is a tendency to think that participation means either blogging or forums, that these are the only ways to create "community." Hogwash. As Ross Mayfield's great diagram The Power Law of Participation notes, there are lots of different ways for users to engage with a company online: everything from simply reading (yes, that's participation--more in a moment), to contributing content.

Read the full posting here.

Dan writes:

It's no secret that I have a pretty expansive view of what interaction design is, that it is more about connecting people than it is about technology. Many people are surprised by this and wonder how it is I can say that. Hell, sometimes I even question it myself.

Don't wait too long, read the full post here to find out what's up.

And then add Dan's site to your RSS read of choice to keep up with good user experience design talk.

 

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Alignment diagrams - Indi Young

Next step on the winding trail is a blog on the develop of a book on alignment diagrams.
 
What are Alignment diagrams you ask?
An alignment diagram is a picture of the user experience that starts with the users' mental model—their goals and how they accomplish them regardless of which tools they use. Next, the features of your web site or product are aligned with users' goals. The result is a diagram that will help you:
  • Better understand the user experience before making design and strategic decisions.
  • Provide your organization with a clear roadmap of where it should invest its energies—and where it shouldn't.
  • Be confident about your design decisions by grounding them in research data.
  • Make your limited budget and time go further.
  • Derive an information architecture from users' tasks that will last 10 years.
  • Get everyone—from discordant team members to busy executives—on the same page with respect to design and strategy.

So if you are into the user experience and designing for a good user experience, this would be one to check out.

Indi Young has an interesting background and seems well qualified to do this book.

 

 
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Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Loneliness of the long-distance linguist - Kieran Snyder

Once upon a time (actually more like October 3, 2005), the Hitchhiker Team found Kieran's blog Adventures in the Slow Twitch. She has expanded to write a second blog, more work related reflecting her passion in linguistics and work in technology, Loneliness of the Long-Distance Linguist, "webulated chit-chat".
 
She writes:
... in the end I was struck by the same thing I'm always struck by whenever people ask questions like that: how inefficient it is that application developers who may or may not know anything about word breaking or writing systems or computational linguistics are stuck trying to intuit the answers to questions like this one.
Read the full posting here.
 
She writes:
I'm wondering what really makes your computer feel like it's yours. Is it the picture on your desktop? Is it the post-it notes framing your monitor? Is it the way your hardware is organized, with an optical mouse on the right and an ergonomic keyboard in front of you? For me, for instance, it's a lot about how my files are organized. Hardware is mostly irrelevant, but if I can't find stuff, then I get lost, and if I get lost, I quickly feel like I'm using someone else's machine. But I'm willing to bet that the really key stuff, the stuff without which a computer just doesn't feel like it's yours, varies a lot by person.
Read the full posting here.
 
And then add Kieran's blog to your RSS Reader of choice. "Webulated?" Is that a word? It is creative!
 
 
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blog - Christine Kane

The trail turns down a musical alley today with the discovery that fok singer and song writer Christine Kane also has a blog.
 
I saw Christine when she came to the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse here in Franklin a while ago (actually Jan 2002; yea, I didn't think it was that long ago).
 
She had a good voice and good lyrics. I see from her web site that she also has a new album, so I'll put that on my list to check out sometime. In the meantime, her blogging activity is pretty good. Well actually better than that.
 
She writes:
... I don’t like television much. For the most part, it’s just a way to sit back and go unconscious. No interaction. No pro-action. Just setting your mind’s dial to “Numb.”
Read the full post here.
 
She writes:
I wrote about the idea of THERE. That illusory place we dream of being after we’ve accomplished our accomplishments. THERE is where we relax. THERE is where we’ll be someone different. THERE is where we’ve made it!

But, as I pointed out, there is no THERE. There’s only here.

Read the full post here.

And I recommend adding her blog to your RSS Reader of choice to follow her writing. Good stuff!

 

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